Acetylene-gas generator.



A. SARTORI ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 001219, 1914.

-1 1 77,544 Patented Mar. 28,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

A. SARTORI ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR;

VAPPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1914.

Patentd Mar. 28, 1916i 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT .AI TGELO SARTORI, 0F KENOSHA, WISCONSITI} ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH CONFORTI.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AxonLo SARTORI, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Ken'osha, in the county of Kenosha and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accomaanvin drawin s. formin a art thereof. l z: a a

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved'device for producing and controlling the generation of acetylene gas from calcium carbid.

It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical axial section of the apparatus embodying this invention, section being made at the line, 1-1, on Fig. 2. Fig.2 is a horizontal section of the same at the line, 2-2, on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a broken section at the line, 33, on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section at the line, ls-4, on Fig. 1, showing on an enlarged'scale a water-controlling valve in the device.

The structure shown in the drawings comprises a gas receiver which in general is of.

familiar type consisting of a lower member or water container, 1, and an upper member or hell, 2, telescoped within the member, 1, for immersing its lower open edge in the water, whereby said edge is sealed against.

the escape of gas therefrom. In the lower part of the water container, 1', there is located the generating chamber, 3, which need be only a few inches in height, and which, as illustrated, extends diametrically across the bottom of the water chamber, 1, being completely inclosed from the water space of this chamber and protruding through one side of the same at the lower end thereof for access and control of the discharge of water into it as hereinafter explained. A pipe, 14. delivers the gas from the chamber, 3, to the bell. In the generating chamber, 3, there is located a drawer, 4:, for holding the calcium carbid. This drawer is subdivided transversely bypartitions, 5, 0, into a plurality of compartments so that the water discharged .upon the calcium carbid for the purpose of generating gas therefrom must fill the compartments in their order, the water being discharged upon one of the compartments at one end and overflowing the partition next to it into the next compartment, which is in turn filled and overflows into the next compartment, and so on to the other end, that is, to the last compartment,

from which the water overflows into the space around the drawer in the generating chamber, and may be drawn off as hereinafter explained.

The end of-the generating chamber, 4, which protrudes from the side of the member, 1, of the gas receiver is tightly closed by a closure, 6, adapted to be bound into place byfa clamp bar, 7 secured at one end to the flange, 8, with which the protruding end of the chamber, 4, is provided, and extending"diametrically across the closure and secured at its opposite end to the flange by the bolt, 9, said bar having at the middle of its length a clamp screw, 10, set through it and bearing upon the center of the closure, 6, binding it toward the flange against an interposed packing gasket, 11. V

The water for, discharge upon the carbid to produce gas therefrom is derived from the same body of water which serves to seal the bell. For this purpose a short pipe, 15, is mounted in one side of the water chamber, 1, protruding through the same near the lower end; and connected with it at 12, in-

side the chamber is a valve, 16, of the cook, 17, whose discharge nozzle,- 18, extends down through'the upper side of the protruding end portion ofthe generating chamber, 4, for discharge within that chamber and into the outer-end compartment of the drawer, 5. The pet-cock is designed to be open at all times during the operation of the apparatus for making gas, and to be closed only when the generating chamber is to be opened for withdrawing and then re-filling the drawer with carbid. The valve member, 16, of the'turn-cock, 16, within the water chamber, 1, has a lever arm, 20, rigid with it, said arm for convenience being extended up vertically from the said valve member and thence horizontally substantially diametrically with respect to' the chamber, 1,

a float, 23, which is of sufficient size so that when completely submerged in Water its buoyancy is sufficient tocause it to operate the valve, 16, lifting the lever arm,'20, as high asthe upper dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, a suitable check being provided to prevent its rising any higher, and the valve being fully closed when it is at that position. \Vh'en the float is out of the water, that is, when the water has fallen so low as not to submerge it,its weight is sufficient added to that of the lever arm, 20, to turn the valve in the opposite direction, the float descending as the water falls, and ultimately, if the water continues to .fall, to

reach the bottom of the chamber, 1, before reaching which position the valve is closed. Itis to be understood that thevalve is wide open at one position, which is as shown in the horizontal position of the lever, 20, as seen in Fig. 4, and is closed by movement in either direction from this position, that is, either-by therlifting of the float to the elevated position shown in Fig. 3, or the descent of the float toward the low position shown in Fig. 3. The top or cover of the bell, 2, overhangs the upper end of the water chamber, 1, and affords a stop to limit the descent of the bell into the water chamber, it being intended, however, that except in case of a deficiency of water, the limit of the downward movement of the bell shall be reached when the tappet, 22, at its lower endhaving encountered the end of the lever arm, 20, has carried said lever arm down to horizontal position shown in full line in Fig. 3, at which position, as above stated, the va1ve,'16, is wide open. The intended action of the construction above described is, that when there is sufficient gas in the receiver to hold the bell at or above the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 3,the valve,

'16, is closed and no water is furnished through the turn-cock for delivery to the generating chamber, and the production of gas is interrupted. As the gas 18 consumed in excess of production and the bell falls from the position last mentioned, the tappet, 22, encountering the lever arm, 20, opens the valve, 16, while the bell is descending to the position shown in full line in Fig, 3, at which position the valve, 16, is wide open and water is furnished in'maximum quantity to the carbid receptacle for generation of gas. If the-generation of gas in the maximum rate exceeds the consumption, the bell will rise and the valve, 16, will be gradually closed and water supply diminished until gas generation equals gas consumption; or if the consumption of gas should be interrupted or diminished. thebell may rise until the valve, 16, closes. The

action above described presupposes the exist-,

ence of enough water in the lower part of the chamber, 1, to operate the float,that is, to submerge it at the highest position mentioned. If by reason of the consumption of lever, 20, together with'the float will cause the valve, 16, to be operated for closing by the downward movement of the lever, 20, below horizontal position; and before the water level falls so far as to permit the float to reach the lower dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, the'valve will be entirelyclosed and the supply of water to the carbid receptacle will be cut off.

The several parts including the float are designed to be so proportioned that, disregarding the inertia of the parts to be moved and the frictional resistance or sticking of the valve the float will begin to fall from the position shown in full line in Fig. 3,the position at which the valve, 16, iswide open,- as soon as a small segment of the upper side of said float is out of the Water; and when it does start it will have emerged from the water to a sufficientlygreat extent to offset that inertia and the sticking of the valve; and in view also of the further fact that by reason of the up-bending of the lever arm, 20., from the valve, 16, as shown, it will result that as soon as the float begins to descend, gaining some leverage and having inertia operating in its favor, it will continue to descend, notwithstanding by descending it again becomes completely submerged; and for the same reasons the inertia of the parts to be moved and the 'fric- I tional resistance or tendency to' stick of the valve it will be seen that having descended to the lowest position shown in :dotted line in Fig. 3, where it holds the valve, 16, closed, itwill not again rise to open the valve until the water level is very considerably raised or some assistance in addition to the buoyancy of the float, 23, is afforded. For this purpose, that is, to start the lever arm, 20, upward for opening the valve when water has been supplied to adequate depth to insure a safe water seal, there is provided an additional float, 25, connected preferably by a chain or other flexible connectionfll, with the float, This additional float, .25, remains floating upon the surface ofthe water without effect upon "the operation of the awash 3 rection that at'the wide open position of the valve the float is above the horizontal line of the valve," so as to gain leverage on the valve indescending, it is insured that the discharge of water to the generator will be cut 013: while there is still adequate water seal and that without making it necessary to extend the bell at its lowest position to any greater depth than that at which it operates the lever, 20, for setting the valve wide open. By making the valve, 16, as shown so that movement through a very small angle from wide open position in either direction closes it, and the float, 23, of such proportions that its weight, added to that of the lever will cause the lever to descend and close the valve as soon as the float protrudes the least above the water level, and so that the entire movement for closing the valve by the descent of the float is -a relatively small part of the diameter of the float, the device will operate without the assistance of the upper float, 25, with the certainty of maintaining a water field equal to substantially one-half of the radius of the'lioat without extending the bell at its lowest position any farther than as shown in the drawings, that is, so that the tappet at its lower edge encountering the lever, 20, holds the valve wide open when the bell has reached its limit of descent. The drawings may be understood as representing the float, 23, proportioncd in this manner; and as described and represented, the valve will therefore operate without the float, 25; but in that case, the float, 23, having descended for closing to the lowest position shown in dotted line in Fig. 3, will not commence to rise for opening the valve until the water reaches. a height considerably greater than that at which the opening movement commences when the float, 25, is employed to assist the uplift of the lever; and also in the absence of the float, 25, the height of water necessary to start the float, 23, upward, will depend to so large an extent upon the friction of the valve which will have to be overcome in starting, as to make that high point variable with the different conditions of the valve. For these reasons the supplemental float, 25, is desirable though not essential to the operation.

When it becomes necessary to recharge the generator and for thatpurpose to open it and withdraw the carbid drawer, it is necessary at the same time to close the connnunication of the generator with the gas receiver and for that purpose the pipe, 14, has a valve, 14 from whose body a sleeve 14*, extends out through the bottom of the water holder, 1, and this valve operating stem, l t", extends out through said sleeve, so

that the valve. may be exteriorly operated,

The usual precautionary means may be employed to prevent the bell .from being lifted too high, such as the check rods, 2, bolted to the upper margin of the water. holder, 1, and running through the overhanging margin -=of the cover of the bell, and provided with stopnuts, 2, above said cover. Also any convenientlmeans, as the drain cock, 3, may be provided for testing the condition of the generatihg chamber, that is, as to whether the caribid is exhausted or gas is still being generated. Upon opening the drain cock, 3 ,"the issuance of gas will indicate that the-water has not yet over-flowed from the last compartment of the carbid drawer into the general cavity of the generating chamber, and

that the apparatus is still in condition for generating gas. carbid is exhausted and the water has overfiowed from the last compartment, water will issue from the drain COQlZ.

I claim:

1. In an acetylene gas generator, in combination with a gas receiver, comprising a water holder and a bell member or cover telescoping therein to immerse its lower mout in the water for efl ecting a water sealya generating chamber at the bottom of the water holder; a duct opening for intake in the water holder and discharging in the generating chamber; a valve which controls the intake in the water holder adapted to be opened for intake at one position, and to be closed by movement either way from said open position; a float in the water chamber and operating connections of the float with the valve; means carried by the bell for operating the valve positively by the descent of the bell, such means being positioned for encounter with the valve-operating connection to open the valve when the bell descends to a pre-determined position; means for stopping the descending movement of the bell at the wide-open position of the valve;

the float being adapted by rising to close the valve as the water rises above a pre-dctermined point, and to close the valve by falling when the water falls below a pr edeter-' mined level adequate to effect the water seal.

2. In an acetylene gas generator, in combination with a gas receiver comprising a water-holder ands bell or cover telescoping therein for dipping its lower mouth into water to effect a water seal; a generating chamber and a gas conduit therefrom leading up through the water in the holder opening therefrom; a duct opening for intake in the water chamber of the water holder, and discharging i'nto thegenerating chamber; a valve which controls the intake located in the water holder, adapted to open for intake at one position and to be closed by movement either way from saEd open position; a lever arm for operating said valve extending to a.- point above the level of the valve when It, on the, contrary, the

the valve is at open position; a float carried by said lever arm mounted thereon at said point, whereby the leverage favoring said float for operating the valve increases as the float descends from said open position of the valve, the float being adapted by rising to close the valve when the water rises above a pre-determined level and to close the valve by falling when the water falls below a predetlermined level adequate to effect a water sea 3. In an acetylene gas generator in combination with a gas receiver, comprising a water-holder and a bell member or cover telescoping therein for dipping its lower end in the water of the water-holder to efiect a Water seal; a generating chamber and a gas conduit therefrom leading into the bell; a duct opening for intake in the water space of the water holder and discharging into the generating chamber; a valve controlling the intake of said duct located in the waterholder adapted to be opened for intake at one position and to be closed by moving either way from said open position, said Copies of this I patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the a distance determined by the length of said flexible connection, said float being adapted by rising to close the valve when the water rises above a predetermined level, and the first floatbeing adapted to close the valve by falling when the water falls below a predetermined level adequate to effect the water seal.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Kenosha, Wisconsin, this 12th day of October, 1914. I

ANGELO SARTORI.

Witnesses RAFFAELE MAGARO, MARIANO CONFORTI.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0."

its buoyancy cooperates with ,thflt of the first float when the water has risen above the first float 

